Lucky Bite
by SevenRenny
Summary: It surprised her how Izuku could shift from being extremely easy-going and gentle, to strong and determined. She could say he was an awesome guy... an awesome guy who just happened to be her best friend. An awesome guy who she found very attractive as well. This had bothered her, and it didn't help when Sero pointed something out, "Midoriya, is that a hickey?" IzuOcha.


_Disclaimer:_ _I do not own My Hero Academia._

 _Note: Covers manga up to chapter 102, also a brief mention of the sexual joke in chapter 109_

* * *

 **Lucky Bite**

 **SevenRenny**

Love had never crossed her mind. Ochaco had no time for such things. She had a bigger goal, and such girly feelings would only get in her way. Bottling everything up seemed like the only answer. However, it was easier said than done. It was such a weird feeling - unusual to the point that she thought something was physically wrong with her. The symptoms were hard to ignore: fast heartbeats, a tickling sensation within her chest and belly, suddenly feeling hot and sweaty and nervous, feeling flustered over nothing and having awkward bursts of laughter… and the need to be intimately close to a person. A very close person.

She hadn't made the connections until her classmates had started teasing her about it – about how she _loved_ him. Everything suddenly seemed scary. The word itself was scary enough. _Love_. What… what was she to do? She understood family love; she understood friendship, but romantic love? She was utterly lost. She had absolutely zero experience with it. Why did this have to happen to her? Why couldn't there be a stop or – at the very least – a pause button? She needed time. She needed space. She needed a little, quiet room where time has stopped so she could sit in a corner and take her time to think everything through.

She thought as she gazed out the window. Almost everyone in the dorm was probably asleep by now. She wished she could also have a nap, but that was hard to do with the flurry of emotions going through her. She stayed where her classmates usually gathered, but with it being so late, all the sofas were empty, lonely. She folded her arms over the window sill and rested her cheek on them, sighing.

He was training outside again, the bright lines of energy glowing through his veins as he kicked at the air. It surprised her how well he could showcase his emotions in just his movements. It surprised her how Izuku could shift from being extremely easy-going and gentle, to strong and determined. With a heart of gold and a quick mind and the will to help others, she could say he was an awesome guy.

An awesome guy how just happened to be her best friend; her best friend, a boy who she probably – _most likely_ loved romantically.

Just how did she end up in this mess?

She exhaled in misery and a little cloud fogged the window for a second before fading. If only her issues could fade that fast.

She watched as he used his strong legs to swing at the air. He had quite muscular limbs. And at some point, after getting sweaty and uncomfortable in his damp clothes, he had removed his soaked shirt, revealing a well-built body and nicely formed shoulders and chest, and all at once, he went from being a cute, nerdy boy to looking more like a strong and sexually attractive young man.

She couldn't handle this.

She reluctantly looked away and slowly went back to her room, because seeing him sweating and panting - back and stomach muscles shifting with the movements - and seeing his face and the many expressions he could pull off, and knowing she couldn't have any of him was all too much. She got ready for bed, but remained staring up at the ceiling for at least an hour, then tossing and turning for another.

He was her best friend. This wasn't supposed to happen. When did he go from friend to best friend to crush to love interest so quickly without her noticing?

She whined in frustration and pressed a pillow to her face. Don't think about it. Sleep. Just sleep. Don't get distracted like this.

The next morning, almost the whole class noticed her sleep-deprived eyes and sluggish movements. It was so evident Iida actually asked if she was sick. She quickly put on a tired smile, waving a dismissive hand.

"Guess I didn't get much sleep last night." Well, that wasn't a lie, so she went with that.

"Sleep is quite essential for both body and mind," he explained in disapproval. "Please, do not neglect yourself like this!"

She smiled sheepishly at being scolded by her own friend. "Sorry, I messed up my sleep patterns."

Iida sighed and crossed his arms. "Well, no matter. Just be sure to take care of yourself. We all need to be in our best conditions." He explained. He looked over when he heard Kirishima and Kaminari talking just in front of Bakugou's desk. The explosive blond had his feet up on the desk, ignoring Kirishima and swearing at him whenever the red-haired friend tried to bring him into the conversation. Iida's eyes then noticed an empty desk.

"Say," he nodded his head to it, "where's Midoriya? It's not like him to be late."

Ochaco thought for a moment, remembering last night. He'd been training late. She guessed he probably hadn't gotten enough sleep either. Her eyes stung from fatigue and she rubbed at them. She felt like a child who needed a short nap. A pink hand tapped her desk, jolting her awake.

"Girl, you okay?" Mina asked, pointing at Ochaco's eyes. "You look like you haven't slept in a week. The girls have been asking about you, you know," she said, pointing a thumb over her shoulder. The classroom's females were huddled by Jirou's desk, looking her way. It occurred to Ochaco that they had probably realized something wasn't right with her today and had sent Mina to investigate. They were worried about her. She had been spacing out yesterday when the girls were all gathered in the common room. She'd also been uncharacteristically silent then. And, today, she had woken up with her mind still half asleep, so she hadn't had the time to comb her hair properly and she had been walking with tired, slow steps. Her female friends must've picked up on her mood and strange behavior.

Ochaco was about to answer, but had to stop to release one, big yawn. "I'm fine, really," she said tiredly, trying to pull a fake smile but failing as she felt her eyes itch and rubbed at them. "Just –" another yawn; " – haven't slept well. I'm just a little sleepy, I'll be fine!"

Mina didn't look convinced but didn't dig any deeper. "Well, alright. But if you need to talk then you've got your back, kay?" The pink girl said encouragingly, giving her thumbs ups. It warmed Ochaco heart and she gave her pink friend a real smile, nodding happily.

The classroom door was shoved open, revealing a yawning Izuku, hand rubbing through his messy hair. "Mornin'," he said mid-yawn, eyes barely staying open as he shuffled in on wobbly legs.

"Look who decided to show up," Kirishima grinned.

His happy expression slowly melted into concern when Midoriya got closer to reach his seat, giving Kirishima a closer look at his face.

"Wah, are you alright, man?" he asked, extending a hand to place on Izuku's shoulder. However, the green-haired boy waved a dismissive hand and plopped down, his chair screeching for a second from being shoved back.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Izuku said. "Thanks for worrying, but I'm okay. Just slept late last night."

The sharp-toothed friend simply asked, "You sure?"

Izuku nodded. He briefly heard Bakugou mutter "idiot", but he let it pass like always.

Ochaco, while still dazed and unfocused, still managed to feel the eyes that pierced the back of her head. The girls were staring. They looked from her, to Izuku, then back to her, and then turned to exchange words with each other, concern written on their faces.

What had them on edge?

 _"Think something happened between them last night?"_

That was all she managed to hear, and the hairs on her arm stood at ends. It was as if they were building a puzzle, looking for what seemed to fit into what. Both she and Deku looked tired, and both came up with the same excuse as to why. While it was just a coincidence, the girls didn't believe so. She knew they'd want to talk with her later. No matter. Nothing happened between her and him, so there was nothing to be nervous about.

It was until Sero opened his big fat mouth that everything fell into chaos.

"Midoriya, is that a hickey?"

At that moment, the class seemed to drift into a separate dimension in time. Most of those who heard froze in their tracks, and some snapped their necks to check if they had heard right. Even Bakugou spun around.

Izuku, who took a few seconds to long for his sharp mind to process what had been said and why everyone was looking at him, only blinked in confusion. He followed Sero's line of sight. He was eyeing his neck. And when Izuku reached and felt around, his hand landed on a particular spot on the left side of his neck and his whole body tensed, his pupils shrinking in horror. Ochaco felt as if she had been holding her breath when he finally spoke.

"I… I can explain…"

Sero suddenly slapped him in the back. "You lucky dog!" he laughed.

The poor boy looked horrified. All eyes were on him. "No, wait! It's – it's not what it looks –!" He didn't get to finish as Denki grubbed Izuku's head and tried to shove his face down into his desk.

"You sexual maniac!" Denki yelled. Mineta was practically in tears as he pulled at Deku's sleeve, screaming profanities. Everything was a mess of screaming and yelling from their part. There were some manly teasing from Kirishima and Sero, and confused stares and muffled giggling from everywhere else; all while the victim struggled against the hand shoving his face down against his desk.

"It's not what it looks like – I swear!" He panicked; blushing and feeling his face heat up at the assumption thrown at him. "St – stop it! Cut it out, guys! It's not what you think!"

"Oh, so you're telling me you weren't off messing around, eh?" Denki growled. "Where were you yesterday, then?"

"I was training!"

"So that's what you're calling it now!"

Kirishima, sensing the banter was getting out of hand, sweat dropped and interfered. "Come on, leave the guy alone," he chuckled. "It's none of our business what Midoriya does in his spare time."

"I was training, honest!" Izuku protested. His face was a bright red. Denki squished his face into the desk again, muffling his weak attempts at speaking.

"Stop calling it ' _training'_ you lucky bastard! God damn it, Midoriya – I thought you were innocent!" Denki was close to having a mental breakdown, something Mineta was currently undergoing.

Bakugou's shocked face morphed into one of disgust and pure rage. The little shit didn't even have the guts to hold hands with a girl, so how in the actual fuck had he manged to receive a freaking love bite? Love bite… _Fucking hell,_ it wasn't even possible for shitty Deku to be linked to anything romantic or sexual in the first place. He was useless, weak _Deku._

A useless Deku who was probably getting some action in the background…

Izuku saw a flash of light and felt the rising heat. Before he knew it, his body acted on instinct, slipping from Denki's grasp and throwing himself to the side and on to the floor to avoid having his head explode-killed when Bakugou smashed a fist against Izuku's desk, tiny explosions going off.

"Deku…" Bakugou growled, and Izuku was sure he saw a vision of his future death in Katsuki's piercing glare.

"K – Kacchan, wait!"

Katsuki was having none of it, though, and gave chase as Izuku scrambled around desks like a frightened animal, yelping and dodging between desks. _"I didn't do anything – it's not what this is – Kacchan, sto – stop! Kacchan!"_

"Fucking _Deku!_ "

"Bakugou, fighting in the classroom is strictly forbidden!"

"Outta my way, Four-eyes!"

"Okay, everyone, let's all just calm down…"

"That curly-haired, smooth-talking son of a bitch did it again –!"

"Break it up, break it up!"

"Bakugou, you are destroying the class, I beg of you to behave!"

" _Kacchan!"_

"Bakugou, stop, it's not a big deal –"

" _Deku, I'll fucking_ _kill_ _you!"_

"Man, who knew our cinnamon roll had it in him?"

" _I swear I didn't do anything!"_

Madness. It was complete madness. Ochaco could only watch as the class was a flurry of movements and the fact that Izuku Midoriya, _her_ friend who she had a crush on, had a _hickey_ slowly sunk in. She had been selfish. She had only been thinking of herself and her own desires, yet, did not think Deku might already be someone else's. She already knew he was way ahead of her and that she could not possibly catch up. He was a good guy. Too good. She couldn't possibly match up to him. She already knew all that. But seeing proof that he had someone – that he had a lover who made him happy… it was a weird feeling.

Her hand went up to grab over her heart, feeling it beat like a hummingbird's wings. It was so strong she felt it in her throat. It hurt.

She was being selfish again. Why couldn't she just accept that being with him in an intimate level was impossible? She wouldn't be enough for him. If he was happy with whoever he was with, then his happiness was what mattered in the end. If he was happy, then she could be happy as well. She could suffer the feeling of desperate longing and emptiness for as long as possible, because as long as he was still able to smile, then her pain was worth it.

The sensation of being weightless overcame her, and it was then she noticed she was starting to float. She hurriedly brought her hands together before she went too high, canceling her Zero Gravity and causing her to slam back down in her chair.

The class was finally forced to quiet down when Aizawa walked in and detained Bakugou who had been trying to grab at Midoriya. "Back in your seats. That goes for all of you."

His presence alone was enough to get everyone to behave.

…

She felt like the dead all day. Her mood had gone from brain numb, down to disappointment and lack of motivation. She hadn't said much during Lunch-Rush, the only conversations being mostly between Izuku and Iida. She'd noticed how he'd hiked up his shirt collar to hide the mark. She'd also noticed him glancing at her from time to time in concern, asking her simple things to get her to talk, to make sure she was okay. She pretended to, because she just couldn't out right tell him what was bothering her. When they left their trays to head back, Izuku caught up to her, walking alongside her for a while.

"You know, I'm free later today," he told her. "Are you? You look stressed out today, so... I thought, you know, we could hang out later? There's this nice, quiet place I know. I go there sometimes to clear my head," he told her shyly. She could see a pink blush on his cheeks. She wondered if she had one as well, because her heart raced and she had to check to make sure she hadn't accidentally made herself float again.

"Ah – I… okay," her mouth moved before she could actually think. When he smiled sweetly at her, it was too late to back out.

"Great! I'll text you later today, then," he said, unaware of how nervous his friend was getting.

"Is Iida coming?" She asked.

"I asked him, but he said he had something to do."

Ah, so it was going to be just her and him… for some reason, she was dreading and anticipating it at the same time. Yes, she did want to spend time with him, and she needed some time to cool off because her head would surely explode if she didn't; however, could she stand being next to him and not feel flustered and rejected because he was cute and kind and already _taken_?

A buzz stopped him in his tracks. He checked his phone and raised a questioning brow, "Hatsume?"

Ochaco watched him cup the side of his neck, where the mark was still covered. He'd done the movement without thinking. "You can go on ahead. I have to take this," he said, smiling and using the hand which held the phone to wave goodbye at her. "I'll see you then!"

She stood there, shocked.

Hatsume? He had been with Hatsume? No, she shouldn't be assuming such things. She was probably just a friend to him, or probably had a support gadget he'd requested or something of the like. But the way he held his neck…

She shook her head, begging for the thoughts to leave her alone. So what if they were together? That didn't change a thing! He was still hanging out with her and talking to her and being the awesome guy that he was. Him being with Hatsume wasn't far-fetched. They got along fairly well during the Sports Festival. And while Ochaco wasn't her biggest fan, even she had to admit that Mei was attractive, being fit and having a nicely rounded chest.

 _No!_ She thought. _Don't think about it. Just be glad he has someone special to him. Yes. That's it. You can focus on being a hero now and forget all that lovey-dovey drama in your head._

So she puffed out her chest in determination and set out to go through the day.

However, her classmates weren't making things easy for her. All throughout the day, they threw around simple sexual jokes and how the _'shy guy's been getting some'_ and some guessing said shy guy's relationship with the mysteries person who had given him the mark. While most guessed it had simply been a girlfriend or a boyfriend they did not know about, a few suggested it was a friends-with-benefits kind of relationship. More than half the class disagreed with that one.

"I don't think Midoriya's the kind of person to do it with a person he considers simply as a friend." Ojiro explained. "And not just that. He's really shy – he wouldn't go this far with just anyone."

"Bullshit! The guy was behind a boulder with a naked lady in the middle of the exam! You call _that_ shy? The exam!" Kaminari exclaimed. "Everyone was having a hard time and he was off having a quickie!"

"You still angry over that?"

"Yes – No – wait, err… Gah! It's just that… it's _Midoriya!_ He's supposed to be the innocent angel here! I can't look at him the same way again!"

"So you think he was with that same woman again?" Ojiro asked, shifting in his chair to give his tail more room to swish around.

"That's enough," Yaoyorozu ordered, not liking the direction this conversation was headed. "I'm very sure Midoriya doesn't want his relationship statues to be public. Prodding into his love-life will only agitate him. He may be your friend, but he's still a sensitive person. This is all fun-and-games to you, but please keep his feelings into consideration."

"Indeed," Tokoyami said from his seat, away from the gathered group at the front. "This matter is none of our business. There is no need to dig into it."

Ochaco, who had been standing outside the door for what felt like an hour, dreaded stepping into the room now after hearing what the conversation was about. She couldn't possibly go in now. Just why couldn't they talk about something else? Like studying or other heroes or _something else just not that…_

To her horror, Aoyama decided to drop a bomb. "Besides, how do you think poor Uraraka would feel if she knew you are pairing that boy with another girl?"

The class was silent for a minute or two, fitting her into the missing space in the puzzle. Yaoyorozu rubbed at her temples, because the second the boys tied loose strings together, her efforts to tune down the situation had gone out the window.

"With Uraraka … wait, they're a thing now?" Kirishima said, looking at everyone else to be sure he wasn't the only one who hadn't known of this. "I thought they were just friends. When did this happen? What the hell did I miss?"

"A lot, apparently…" Ojiro commented meekly. "But it does make sense. They are close, after all."

"Not to mention both sleep deprived and _'slept late',"_ Aoyama said, winking.

Outside the room, Uraraka wanted to float and hopefully disappear off the face of the Earth.

"Oh, hell," Kaminari grabbed at his head dramatically. "First the cinnamon roll, now her?"

"They're always together. I guess they've been a couple for a while and we never noticed?" Kirishima turned to Iida, who had been trying to get everyone to leave the subject alone but gave up when they did not listen. "Iida, you're with them a lot. Can you fill us in, man?"

Iida pushed up his glasses. "Whatever there is between Midoriya and Uraraka stays between them. I admit, even I have questions of my own, but I do not intend to push them for answers, nor will I give away personal info without their consent. As long as they are both unharmed and not in any danger, I will not interfere."

Ochaco's felt like crying for a number of reasons. She wanted to thank Iida for not making any more assumptions that would drag her down along with Izuku, but at the same time, she wanted to bang her head against the wall because _you got it all wrong – it wasn't even me! We're not… nothing happened between us; we aren't together!_

"He's right, you know," Jiro said, one of her plug-like earlobes pointing at Iida before going back to dangling by her ear again. "It's kinda personal. I mean, even if they are dating, they didn't tell anyone. They don't want to make it public."

"That's why you have to leave it be," Todoroki finally said. He had stayed out of the whole thing for the most part. "They clearly don't want us to know, so respect their privacy."

Ochaco sighed sadly. They were all so convinced she and Izuku were together. Deep inside, she knew it would never happen. Not only was he already taken, but he was already so ahead of her. He was amazing, and she wasn't anything special.

"Uraraka?"

She stiffened. He was right behind her, looking at her with concern. She probably looked like an idiot, standing and staring at a door for who knows how long.

"Is something wrong?" He asked her, tilting his head, checking to see if something wasn't right with the door.

She smiled awkwardly. "No, no! It's nothing. I was just thinking." Even though she was sure her effort to cover up her awkwardness was half-assed, he seemed to buy it, or pretended to, anyway. She figured he didn't want her to be embarrassed any further.

"Oh, alright," he told her and reached for the handle. "But if something's wrong, it's okay to tell me or Iida. We're all friends, so if you need to talk to us, it's okay."

"I'm okay, really!" she insisted. She felt guilty for making him worry about her, and even more so considering what made her so down was such a childish reason.

"You still want to hang out today?" He asked. She guessed he was making sure she wasn't backing out. He must've thought she was too upset to join him.

"Yeah, of course!" Because she just couldn't say no to that adorable face. That, and the fact that she really did want to spend time with him.

He opened the door, and the class scattered like cockroaches.

The ones who had been huddled by Ojiro's desk abruptly turned away as if caught by a teaching doing something forbidden. Kaminari whistled, scratching the back of his head and finding the wall quite interesting.

It was quiet. Too quiet.

Aside from Iida greeting them, everyone else pretended they weren't there.

Both Izuku and Ochaco blinked in confusion. Ochaco recalled the class's conversation and felt her face head up. Everyone thought they were a couple and probably had no clue how to react to the idea of two of their classmates dating.

"Uh… did something happen?" Izuku asked uncertainly, seeing how calm and quiet everyone was. This didn't feel normal.

He got a few 'no's and a suspicious 'yeah' from Mineta before a jack earplug stabbed him, causing him to yelp.

It was going to be a long day.

…

And she had been correct. The day was tiresome. She wanted somewhere peaceful and quiet and just a place to put her mind at ease. And Izuku, being the good hero, saved her yet again. Later that day, he walked her into a green field, trees lining up at either side. It seemed more like a large park, but it was just a part of a forest that happened to be nearby. It was so green, and the smell of grass and nature loosened the tension that had built up within her.

Izuku led her to the side. He had a large bag strapped to his shoulder. Just under a tree, he laid out a picnic blanket and plopped down. She did as well and threw herself back to rest on her back, staring at the tree branches that danced above. This was what she needed. When Izuku had told her he'd be taking her somehow to relax, she hadn't expected this. It was so calm, so natural, and felt so right.

"Thanks, Deku." She breathed deeply, folding her arms over her head, feeling completely safe.

"Hmm?" He looked up from the bag he'd been rummaging through.

"It's a nice place. Very pretty."

"Oh," he said, looking around. "Yeah. I kinda accidentally found it. I ended up coming here more often. It's really nice. Good place to think about the day and relax. I took a few naps here, too."

Ochaco giggled at the thought of him sleeping on a picnic blanket in the middle of green grass and protective trees.

He scooted over to be next to her, and then folded his arm behind his head and dropped back, lying on his back and looking at the branches over them. They had changed into casual clothes before coming here. The short sleeved t-shirt on him left his arms exposed, showing off the scars and muscles.

"If you're hungry, just tell me. I brought food," he said.

"Hmm." She nodded and closed her eyes. "How long can we stay here?" she asked calmly, feeling the breeze against her cheek and hearing the branches brush together.

"As long as you want," he told her. "Don't worry about the time. Just rest. You've had a stressful day. I can tell."

"Yeah, it's just… a lot's been happening, is all." For some reason, she didn't feel scared to open up to him now. "My mind's been everywhere lately."

He hummed, letting her know he was listening. "If you want to talk about it, it's okay. It doesn't need to be me, you can talk to anyone you trust. You don't have to if you don't want to, though. But if… if it's something we can help you with, it's okay to ask."

With her eyes closed, she hoped his eyes were as well, because she didn't want him to see how hard she was trying to not cry. This boy was too sweet. She wanted to tell him. She really did. But how could she explain without revealing her desires for him?

"It's stupid. I shouldn't be worrying about this." She tried to be as vague as possible. "It's really embarrassing. Just some girl drama I can't get out of my head. I tried ignoring it. I need to focus on becoming a hero. But…" She stared up at the sunlight that managed to slip from in-between the branches. Her hands went to fiddle with the ends of her skirt. "It won't get out of my head. I don't know what to do…"

"Did you try talking to the girls about it?" He asked. He was glad she was opening up to him, but he also didn't want to seem like he was demanding for further details. He just wanted her to lean on him, let off some steam, and let her know that he'll be by her side. If the problem was indeed _girl drama_ then he couldn't step over that boundary. He needed to be careful here.

"I… I couldn't," she admitted, remembering how Mina insisted she was in love and how she tried to figure out how her love interest was. She also remembered floating to the ceiling. "They tried to talk about, a few times, but it's just so embarrassing I couldn't say anything." Sighing, she covered her eyes with her arms. She could hear a bug buzzing somewhere, followed by a rustling of branches as a bird dove out of a tree.

"Sometimes, if I need help with something private…" he said, turning his face the other way to hide his pink cheeks, "…I call my mom. I know it's probably not something everyone will do, but she's my mom. She's used to me being in embarrassing situations before, so…"

She couldn't believe the measures he'd go to give her advice. Most boys his age would be too prideful to admit they needed their mothers' help occasionally. But here he was, willingly telling her he pretty much calls his mother to help him with private things. She understood what he was trying to tell her: _try to talk to your parents about this_ , that, and _it's okay to let down your guard in front of your friends_ , because he was exposing himself to her with that kind of information.

"Deku…"

"Hmm?"

She inhaled, not sure if it was okay to cross the line now. "Do you… do you have a crush on someone?" there, blunt but not too obvious. At least, that's what she hoped it seemed.

He flinched next to her, thinking her words over. He rolled to rest on his side, one hand on his cheek to hold his head up while the other rested on his hip. This way, he could look at her. "Uraraka?"

"Weird question, I know…" She brought her hands together, folding and unfolding her fingers, having something to distract her from his eyes. "Just… what if you have a crush on someone, and that person already has someone else?"

The look on his face was of shock, then it slowly turned sad, sympathetic.

"I know… it's stupid I shouldn't be –"

"Uraraka, it's not stupid at all," he interrupted her. "It's understandable to be uncomfortable over this. I know I would be."

She felt her throat clog up. She heaved herself up into a sitting position and he did the same, resting his arm on a bent knee.

"I feel so selfish. I'm happy that he's happy, but… I… I just…" she clutched her heart, swallowing hard because she knew there wasn't an answer to her problem. "It hurts."

"Uraraka," he whispered sympathetically, worry and pain written on his face. He placed his palm on her back, rubbing up and down gently. "You really like this guy, don't you?" he asked, seeing how distraught she was.

She nodded and quickly looked down and wiped a tear away, breaking down in front of him. He shifted away for a moment, messed with the bag, and then scooted back, placing a few napkins over her hand. She took them gratefully. "Thanks, Deku…"

"It's fine," he said. "I guess that's why you didn't tell anyone. How long has this been bothering you?"

"I've known him for a while. I didn't realize I liked him until later. Even then, I didn't want to get involved with him. I needed to focus on becoming a hero. I didn't want to distract both of us. Then I found out he already has a girlfriend…" she ruffled her hair in frustration. "I didn't know how to handle it. Everything just exploded in my head and it's all messed up and I don't know what to do…" she stopped herself, realizing she was saying too much. "I'm sorry."

"No, Uraraka. You're really strong," he told her confidently, giving her shoulder a supporting squeeze. "What you're feeling must be painful, but you still held your head up high and you kept smiling through the whole day." He pulled her closer, being shoulder to shoulder now. "I don't know if I'd be able to do the same. You're really strong. You're amazing."

 _You're amazing…_ she was anything but amazing. She was plain, average. He was the definition of _special._ She couldn't compare to him. They were a million levels apart.

"I don't know what to do. He's in the same class and I see him often and… I just don't know."

"How'd you know he already has someone? Eh – you don't need to answer that if it's too much! I didn't mean to sound like I'm being nosey."

She smiled tiredly. She just loved how he could shift from being confident, to an awkward boy again. "Well, he never said it, but he kept dropping hints here and there that he's seeing someone."

His eyes brightened a little with hope. "Oh, so you're not sure if he has a girlfriend?" he looked up for a second, thinking it over. "You said he's in our class, right? Want me to talk to him? Maybe he's not actually with someone."

Ochaco blushed, flattered by how far he was willing to go to help her out. While the offer warmed her heart, she couldn't accept it because: a- her crush was Izuku, b- how was Izuku supposed to go and talk to himself, c- the mark on his neck was still there, d- even if he was single, the fear of being friend-zoned was too overwhelming.

"Thank you, but it's okay, Deku," she said, looking down at her lap. "I don't want to burden him with this."

"You're not a burden," he insisted. "You're an amazing person and you deserve to be happy. Any guy would be lucky to have you."

"Deku…"

"Uraraka, I know I don't have any experience with this, but I know this is important to you." He leaned a little closer, because the things he was saying were only meant to her ears only. "I don't like seeing you upset, Uraraka. If there's anything I can do to help you then I will do my best."

He was a sweetheart, no doubt about it. She couldn't stop listing the reasons why she liked this boy so much. There were just too many to count. Then, when recalling his words in her head, she noticed something within the lines.

"No experience…?" She repeated his words out loud. He scratched the back of his head in response.

"Yeah, I didn't even have friends before coming here. I have you guys now, and it's still a little surreal to me," he explained, looking away shyly. "My Quirk manifested late. Really late. So I was kinda Quirkless for the most part. No one wanted to be with a Quirkless, weak Deku, so I was an easy target at school. I couldn't have friends, and I never really got to talk to girls." He saw the look of sadness in her eyes and quickly put on a smile. "But it's okay now. I have you and Iida and everyone in class. You guys are awesome, and that's enough for me!"

He never had friends before. That was unbelievable to her. He was such a nice guy, and while he wasn't an extrovert, she figured he'd be one of the popular kids with his friendly and helpful nature. An _'easy target'_ he'd said _…_ so not only did he not have friends, but he had been bullied as well. That thought alone made her want to hug him and let him know that he had people who cared about him and that he didn't have to be lonely anymore.

She remembered the first day she'd met him. He was so skittish and jumpy and way too shy. Now that she knew what had caused the submissive behavior, she felt a tightness in her heart. Abandoning all reason, she leaned into him. He froze like a statue when she wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek on his shoulder.

"Uraraka…"

"You must've felt lonely," she said gently. He seemed unfamiliar to the hold, and she wondered if he'd ever gotten hugs by someone other than his mother before.

He slowly hugged her back, sighing comfortably from the warm, friendly contact. "Just a little," he admitted with a sad smile.

He was opening his own wounds to her, showing her his most vulnerable side, because he trusted her that much.

Her eyes caught the mark on his neck. She tilted her head a little to get a better look, because if hadn't been with anyone like he'd told her, then what was that? He turned his head and saw where she was looking.

"Oh, this?" He asked, moving away from the hug to cup a hand over the mark. "It's not what you think it is, I swear. The guys didn't give me time to explain," He said nervously. "It's kind of a funny story…"

" _Are you sure about this, Hatsume?" Izuku asked, regretting coming to the workshop at that moment._

" _It's fine, it's fine. Just need to see if it picks of body heat with no problems."_ _Hatsume explained, holding up an oversized, cogwheel-looking neckwear._

" _Why me, though?"_

" _Client's not here today. I tried calling her but she's not responding, so I just left her a text. I want to get this finished up so I could start with something else, but I don't wanna wait for here." She got closer, flicking a switch on the menacing looking collar and the whole thing opened like a handcuff. Izuku did_ _not_ _want that around his neck, or anywhere near his body, for that matter. "Your timing is perfect. Your neck is approximately the same as hers, so do me a favor and hold still."_

" _Wait, wait!" He backed up until his back hit a worktable, hands in front of him to protect himself from that… thing. "Won't it be better to wait for her?"_

" _That'll waste my time. I have other clients. I need to start on other projects and if she tries it out and it turns out not right then I'll have to postpone everything just to fix it. You're here, might as well try it on you." She grinned in excitement and held the metallic looking neckwear wide open, ready to clamp it around his neck. "Now hold still, big boy."_

" _Wait, hold on – hold on just a second, wait! Hatsume, wait, don't –!"_

 _Completely ignoring his please, she attacked and he let out a yelp. He felt claustrophobic with such a thing going around his neck. With a load click, it clamped onto him, and – unaware to Hatsume's knowledge – it also pinched a chunk of the flesh on his neck in the process, biting him in the neck. The thing had clamped shut painfully over his skin._

" _Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow –"_

" _Does the sizing seem off to you?" She asked, unaffected by his pained expression and attempts to get the collar to open._

"– _ow ow ow ow ow ow!"_

" _Alright, I think I know what the problem is. Okay, okay, hold your horses; I'll get it off in a jiffy."_

 _She clicked it open and took it back. Izuku's hands flew up and grabbed his neck, nursing the sore spot where the gadget had bitten him._

" _Just needs a little tuning. Thanks for the help!" She yelled over her shoulder and walked off. He stared at her, not sure if he should remind her that he hadn't volunteered in the first place._

"…and I didn't know it left a mark until this morning. She called and wanted me over at the workshop again today, but I already made plans with you. Plus, I don't want to wear that scary thing again."

She stared at him for a while, letting the story sink in, and then snorted before giggling hysterically, tears in her eyes now. She'd been worried and eating her own heart out over nothing. That little mark had caused a tornado of misunderstandings for the both of them. Knowing the origin of it made her earlier tears pointless. The boy she liked was still single, and had been single for a long time.

"Deku, I thought – I thought it was a…"

"Yeah, that's what everyone in class thought, too," he said, amused and slightly less nervous now that he managed to explain himself. "Anyway, I'm glad you're feeling better," he told her sweetly. "You're laughing again. I guess something good came out of this." He chuckled a little, gesturing to his neck.

"Thanks, Deku." And she meant it.

"Don't thank me, I didn't do anything."

"No really. Thank you," she said, playing with her skirt again. "You always make me feel better."

"It's nothing. I just don't like seeing you sad," he assured her. "You're a good person, you deserve to be happy."

She didn't know how long they stayed there. At some point, he'd offered her a sandwich from the bag and they both ate. Full-bellied and relaxed, they went back to lying on their backs, the sunlight that escaped from the tree branches made shapes of light glow over them. Being alone with him seemed so real, so perfect, and she didn't want it to end. This was what she wanted, just him and her. For a moment, she could forget the rest of the world existed.

A thought circled her mind. How long _could_ this last? For how long could she have him like this? She'd fought to keep her desires in check, tightly bottled up and hidden away. But that hadn't done anything but make things worse.

He was amazing. Way ahead of her. That only meant she needed to keep up, to push herself to the limits and reach him. He was already ahead, but he always stopped for her to lend her a hand. He was ahead, but he wanted her next to him, because she was an equal and deserved to be next to him.

No one was holding her back but her own doubts. He believed in her, so why couldn't she believe in herself?

Looking into the bright trees up high, she moved her hand and gently grasped his scarred one. He'd taught her so many things, one of which was that sometimes, risks are worth taking.

"U – Uraraka?" he stammered, a blush brightening his cheeks. He felt her smooth hand over his rough one.

"Deku,"

"Y…yeah?"

"I like you, Deku."

"…"

She braced herself and looked over at him. His eyes wide with surprise, his mouth half-open and she could see the gears turning in his head.

"I _really_ like you," she emphasized. She could feel her own face heating up. She swallowed thickly when he didn't answer yet. She was scared and nervous and lost and just wanted to hide somewhere. But she'd been hiding for way too long. He needed to know. She needed him to know. She gave his hand a squeeze and he finally blinked.

"Uh…" he stopped, not believing what was happening. "… w – wait, wah…?"

She turned on her side to face him, their faces so close, she could hear him breathing. "Remember… remember when I said I had a crush on someone?"

He gulped nervously and nodded. He wanted to say 'yes' but the hand grabbing his was too distracting.

"It was you," she said softly, her voice slowly failing her as she spilled out her secret. "I thought I could just keep it in." She placed her hand over her heart. "But then I saw your neck, and my heart kept beating so fast and it hurt so much and I couldn't take it." The hand over her heart closed into a tight fist. "That was so silly of me. I shouldn't have been sad over something as silly as this."

His face was now a bright red, and she felt his fingers trembling.

"I'm sorry if I sprung this on you so suddenly. I just want you to know that… I really like you, Deku. I've liked you for a long time now. My heart beats so fast when you're around, and… I… I'm not going to lie, I'm… I'm scared. I'm really scared right now…" Her vision went blurred and she knew she would cry any second now. She bit her lip and turned her head down, allowing her hair to shadow her eyes. "I'm... I'm so sorry…I know I look so stupid right now… I just, I don't know… I just needed to let it out…"

"U – Ura–"

"It's okay if you don't feel the same way… I… I just wanted –"

"–raka?"

"– to let you know, because… because I don't know what else to do… You're so cool and amazing and I'm –"

"Urara –"

"– nothing special… but… but I want to be like you, because you're amazing –"

"–ka…"

"– and kind and sweet and I love you and I feel like I'm making a mess out of myself right now –"

"…Uraraka…?"

"– and I know I'm messing up really badly right now –"

"Uraraka, breathe!"

"– and… and… and it's okay if you don't want me like that. We can stay friends! I'm okay with that… I just don't want things to be weird between us after this–"

She stopped upon feeling a gentle hand on her cheek, forcing her to look up at him. He gazed at her kindly, brushing at the wetness on her face with his thumb. When had she started crying?

"You always surprise me…" he said, removing his hand and brought the one that had been holding hers closer to him. He held her hand closer to his chest. "When you said you weren't special, you're wrong." He forced her palm open gently and ran his thumb over the tiny pad on her finger. "You're brave…" He did the same to the next finger. "You're smart…" And again to the next finger, then the next "You're kind… determined… you're strong." He then flattened his hand over hers. Even though his voice seemed confident, she could feel the tremors through his hand. Over the mask of bravery, he was just as scared as she was.

"You're… you're amazing, Uraraka." He swallowed, trying to get his heart back down from crawling up his throat. "You really are. And a lot braver than me, too." He released a tiny laugh which sounded more like a huff. "I guess it's my turn now? I've… I've always liked you… the say I met you, but I think back then it was only because you seemed cute and friendly. Now… I think now, after I truly got to see who you are, you're so much more."

"Deku…" She was going to cry again. She couldn't believe what was happening.

He swallowed again because that stubborn bulge in his throat refused to go down. "Okay… okay, here I go. Bear with me; I've never done this before," he begged her.

He was still holding her hand, but he lowered his eyes just as she had done before. She could see how red he was turning by the ears. Her mind still hadn't caught up to her, so slow to transfer all this into understandable language to her brain. He was taking deep, concentrated breaths, willing himself to go through with it. Now or never. All or nothing.

" _I love you, Uraraka!"_

He had screamed into… literally screamed the words out loud. His voice had cracked too many times to count, and the birds in the branches up high found it unpleasant and flew off in packs. He had his eyes squeezed shut, afraid to open them because _holy crap that was loud_ and what if he messed up – what if he'd scared her? Was she even still there? Her hand was still in his, so she had to be still there, but she wasn't saying anything…

As slow as he could, he cracked on eye open, bracing himself to see the damage he'd caused.

She face was as red as his, eyes now rimmed red from all the crying she'd done so far. Despite how she looked, she huffed, a tiny giggled escaped with it.

That sound broke the tension in his muscles and he sighed in relief. He couldn't help but chuckle as well. "Too much?"

"Not really," she said. With a tiny smile, she wiped at her wet cheeks. "I wasn't subtle, either."

They both laughed at the whole situation and what had led them to it, and how they'd ended up like this. The world could stop spinning for this moment, because the moment was theirs now. They'd smashed through the wall that had separated them for so long. As their laughter slowed down, they had unintentionally leaned their heads against one another, foreheads touching.

Putting everything else aside, for now, they could be here and enjoy these little moments, these little seconds, smothered in affection and happy tears and childish love, because nobody lived forever. If they could have each other now, then so be it. They would enjoy it all up and not give a damn about anything else.

Looking into each other's eyes, he playfully nudged her head with his and she let out a high-pitched giggled at his silly behavior. They were so close she felt his every exhale on her skin. It was hard not to notice his freckles now. He placed a hand on her cheek, brushing it softly. The way he touched her… She'd never seen a boy this gentle.

She looked at his parted lips and felt a strange desire within her, pulling her, begging her to be intimate with it. He was already so close and so warm, so real.

"Is it…" she began nervously, her voice coming out as a little squeak. "Is it okay if…"

He searched her face, noticing where she was looking. A shuddering breath rolled from his parted lips. "If… if you're sure. I mean, if you really want to."

She breathed smoothly, building up the courage, and then slowly tilted her head, leaning. She felt his hot breath against her mouth for a fraction of a second, halting her just inches away. His hand – the one still on her cheek – shifted a little, and he leaned in, closing the gap.

The warmth was enough to assure them it wasn't all a dream.

It was a simple peck on the lips. No saliva exchanged; just a simple, innocent peck that ended quickly. They pulled away, faces flushed and eyes glossy, examining each other, asking for more through eye-contact alone. Another peck, followed by another. Then, when she tilted her head for a deeper kiss, their mouths opened, allowing their tongues to finally meet. Turned out breathing was difficult while kissing. They had to pull apart and reconnect multiple times, their lips becoming wetter. He pulled away, gasping, a string of mixed saliva still linking them both.

Making out while on their sides under a tree, in the middle of greenery and surrounded by cool breeze, they were complete.

He kissed her a little rougher and she was pushed back, her back now flat against the picnic blanket, him above her, gazing down at her with soft eyes. The tree branches swayed in the background behind him, stars of sunlight escaping from in between the branches, creating a twinkling sky over both of them.

"Sorry…" he whispered. "Was that… was that too fast?"

She responded by digging her fingers through his hair and pulling his head down for another kiss. She gave him wet kisses on his cheek and one on his ear and he'd turned his head. He planted many on her cheeks and head and, slowly, down her neck. They gasped and moaned and giggled and it was all too good.

The whole day was a surprise. She hadn't expected her day – her life – to make such a sudden turn so soon. It had been a tornado of ups and downs and hellish storms.

And it was worth it.

And while they would've stayed like that for much longer, unfortunately, the day was ending. Back in the dorms, they parted ways, each ready for a well-deserved rest. And for Ochaco, snuggled up in her blanket, she felt content as she drifted. She hadn't fallen asleep so fast in such a long time. While it was still a little early, considering that most of their friends were still up, Ochaco and Izuku headed for bed as soon as they got back. They both needed the rest.

Their friends, who had seen the two come back together, didn't say anything as they all agreed that as long as the two didn't want it to be public, then the group shouldn't bring it up.

"Did you see that hickey on her?"

Well, all agreed... except for Mineta…

* * *

 _Note: I may have gone overboard here… oh, well. It's already written. I wasn't expecting it to turn out this long, but when you give me free time and ask me to choose between studying and writing nonsense, you know what the answer is._


End file.
